Representatives of the Malta Association for the Counselling Profession (MACP), the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), AssoCounseling (Italy), and the International Association for Counselling (IAC) met in Brussels from 20–22 July 2026 for a highly productive series of Erasmus+ project meetings focused on strengthening counsellor education and training across Europe.
Over the three-day meeting, project partners reviewed the initial findings from the first phase of the European survey on counsellor training standards and agreed the next stages of the project. These include the launch of a second phase of the survey, detailed analysis of the findings, the preparation of project reports, and wider consultation with counselling leaders, professional associations, educators, and training providers across Europe.
The project builds on and extends the excellent work previously undertaken by the IAC-Europe Standards Working Group, taking that foundation forward through broader European consultation and research. It aims to identify areas of shared good practice while recognising the diversity of counselling education systems throughout Europe. By engaging widely with the profession, the partners hope to contribute to a clearer understanding of counsellor education and to support future collaboration across countries.
Planning also progressed for a major multiplier event, expected to take place in conjunction with the European Parliament in early 2027, where the project's findings and recommendations will be shared with a wider European audience.
The Brussels meeting demonstrated the excellent spirit of collaboration between all project partners. Participants worked closely together throughout the three days, combining their expertise and experience in a shared commitment to advancing high-quality counselling education across Europe.
The project partners also expressed their sincere appreciation to Dar Malta and the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union for their generous hospitality and for providing an excellent meeting venue, which contributed significantly to the success of the meeting.
Participants in the Brussels meeting included:
- Malta Association for the Counselling Profession (MACP): Chantelle Attard Sciberras and Daniel Liam Cutajar
- Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP): Lisa Molloy and Iwona Blasi
- AssoCounseling (Italy): Noella Barison and Chiara Veneri
- International Association for Counselling (IAC): Naoise Kelly
The partners look forward to continuing their work over the coming months as the project enters its next phase and contributes to strengthening dialogue and cooperation on counsellor education throughout Europe.